Joan Mir’s signing gives Ducati Gresini a new lineup for the 2027 MotoGP season. The 2020 MotoGP world champion will partner with Dani Holgado, making the Italian outfit’s roster entirely Spanish for the first time. The pairing brings a former premier-class champion together with a Moto2 graduate stepping up to MotoGP as the championship prepares for a major technical reset.
The move follows Mir’s departure from Honda, where he spent four seasons marked by mixed results and challenges. His time with the Japanese manufacturer included two podium finishes in Japan and Malaysia in 2025, as well as a podium at Montmeló this year, though that result was later annulled because of a tyre-pressure penalty. Mir is set to start a new chapter with Ducati Gresini and try to recapture the form that made him a standout in his early MotoGP years.
Mir’s decision followed a difficult search for a competitive factory-supported chance. In an interview with SPEEDWEEK.com, his manager, Paco Sánchez, said retirement had been considered if they could not find a factory-team option: “Joan was thinking about retiring, if we couldn’t find a factory team.” Sánchez said Gresini’s offer proved decisive, along with Ducati’s commitment to provide factory-level technical backing, even though Mir would be joining a satellite team.
Sánchez also said Ducati general manager for racing Gigi Dall’Igna took part in discussions about the move and promised Mir a “genuine factory bike” with official factory support. If Mir delivered the expected results, he would have access to the same specification as Ducati’s factory riders. Upgrades may reach the satellite team later, but the reported commitment is that the underlying machine will match the factory bike. That backing matters as the 2027 season begins under new technical regulations.
The 2027 rules package will replace MotoGP’s current 1,000cc engine formula with 850cc motorcycles and bring in Pirelli tyres. Manufacturers and teams will have to adapt their machines and development programmes to a new competitive environment. Mir’s move coincides with a championship-wide reset, not simply a change of team. Holgado, meanwhile, will make his premier-class debut after competing in Moto2, pairing rookie experience with Mir’s title-winning background.
Team principal Nadia Padovani has said Gresini will stick to its focus on steady improvement and high aspirations despite the changes. The team’s recent history has included a strong Spanish presence, starting with Marc Márquez’s arrival in 2024 and continuing with Fermín Aldeguer joining Álex Márquez. The riders have delivered impressive results: Álex Márquez finished runner-up, while Aldeguer won in Indonesia. For 2027, The Race’s reported lineup has Álex Márquez moving to KTM and Aldeguer to VR46, with Mir and Holgado taking their places.
Padovani pointed to the team’s long-standing interest in Holgado and Mir’s proven calibre, describing both as basic to its ambitions. She also reaffirmed the partnership with Ducati and praised the manufacturer’s reliability and competitive edge. Dall’Igna, Ducati’s general manager for racing, has also pointed to the shared values behind the collaboration and its technical expertise. The team’s alliance with the Borgo Panigale factory remains basic to its plans, while Sánchez’s account of the agreement points to factory-level support for Mir.
The Race has described the reported 2027 reshuffle as involving 17 rider changes, with a 22-rider grid across 11 teams. The championship’s shifting field was on display when Jorge Martín secured his first pole of the season at Assen, as detailed in coverage of the Dutch GP qualifying shake-up. The changes reflect the continuing evolution of team strategies and rider lineups across the paddock.
Mir and Holgado’s all-Spanish pairing puts Ducati Gresini in focus as MotoGP enters a new technical phase. The Race has described the Gresini environment as a potential chance for Mir to recapture his Suzuki-era form, while Holgado aims to adapt quickly to the premier class. Mir’s experience, Holgado’s rookie campaign and Ducati’s factory-level support shape the team’s ambitions for 2027.
